Delivering the introductory and concept note, Superintendent of Police Kohima, Imnalensa stated that the ‘traffic patrol’ was conceptualised by the former and present unit officers Talisunep Imchen, Z Tshurhosie Kajiri, and T Henthai Phom.
He said while two-wheelers were the preferred option, the two LMVs were procured keeping in mind the rainy season at the state capital and also for the comfort of the duty personnel as well.
The traffic patrol will be used for speedy and effective mobility of traffic personnel to attend to any traffic-related emergencies such as road blockages, accidents, reporting on road conditions etc; patrol the city for effective enforcement of parking and traffic laws; detecting and apprehending violators and deterrence against violators.
The SP also highlighted the everyday challenges faced by traffic personnel for traffic management such as lack of adequate parking spaces and the ever increasing number of vehicles in Kohima.
He also highlighted the need to have ring roads and explore possibilities of carpooling among office commuters and maximum utilisation of mass transport system.
The DGP, in his speech, congratulated the SP and his team for coming up with the innovative idea and building assets for the department. He directed that the vehicles be fitted with GPS for effective monitoring and for successful implementation of the project. He acknowledged the challenges faced during traffic management and stated that during night time, the streets are mostly empty indicating that the “on street parked vehicles” were parked at home for the night. He encouraged the unit officers to identify public and private spaces which can be utilised as parking lots with minimal parking charges.
He directed Kohima Traffic Police to be strict in enforcing parking and traffic laws as proper traffic management reinforces the authority of the police as traffic police are the most visible branch of the police force. The DGP also encouraged vehicle owners to use the multi-level car parking lot available at Old Medical Directorate and Old NST during the G20 Business Meet to avoid congestion and being penalised by traffic police.
Later, the ‘traffic patrol’ was flagged off by the DGP Nagaland in the presence of senior police officers and unit officers. The two traffic patrol vehicles will be attached to North and South traffic control respectively, it said.